Legend High

Chapter 11

June

Day offered to pick me up for school this morning. It's the day before Columbus Day weekend. He lives about a block away so he said we could walk together.

My parents are coming home later tonight. They said they'd like to meet some of my friends. This will be awkward but I'm planning to invite Day.

Tess invited a girl named Kaede that she has been becoming friends with. I'm glad she found a friend.

I hear a knock at out door. Before opening it, I check my outfit in the mirror to make sure I don't have any stains on it.

Day is standing at the door awkwardly fiddling with his backpack when I open it. He smiles at me.

"Hey June. Ready?" He asks.

"Yeah, just let me grab my bag. You can come in." I turn around and run to grab my bag from the couch. "So I have a question for you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well this is a little awkward, but my parents are coming home tonight for dinner and they want to meet Tess and my friends. I was wondering if you'd come over for dinner."

"Sure, I guess. Meeting your parents huh? I guess you must like me." He jokes. I laugh awkwardly.

"Tess is bringing a friend too." I say quickly.

"I was just kidding June."

"Whatever. Let's go to school." I say.

••••••

The doorbell rings and I walk over to answer it. It's Kaede.

My parents walk up to meet her. She smiles at them both awkwardly and remains perfectly polite thorough out introducing herself.

Tess walks into the room a minute later and Kaede seems to be checking her out. Wait... is Kaede gay too?

The doorbell rings interrupting my thoughts. I walk over to it and open it to Day. He's brought a gift of sorts. Must have been his mom's idea.

"Hey." I say.

"Hi June." He says. "Both your parents have the same last name as you, right?" He mumbles trying to keep my parents from hearing it. I nod.

"Mrs. Iparis, I got you a bit of a hostess gift." He says walking up to my mother. She smiles warmly.

"Thank you..."

"Day." He says shaking her hand.

"Hello Day. It's nice to meet you." My Dad says shaking his hand. My parents aren't usually this formal but I think they know how rich our new school is and want to be extra polite.

"Mom, Dad, you don't have to be so formal." I say. They nod and laugh slightly.

"You look exactly like June's childhood friend." My mom says. I glare at her. She knows I hate when she mentions Daniel.

"Excuse me for a minute." I say walking out of the room.

I find Ollie and hug him. I sit down on the floor and pull him into my lap. I love him.

Day walks into the room looking super concerned. He does look like Daniel, but I don't believe that Daniel would have had the nerve to fake his death.

"Hey." He says sitting next to me on the floor. He pets Ollie a little. "So I apparently look like an old friend of yours?"

"Yeah." I say. "But he died years ago."

"Oh that's unfortunate. I'm so sorry June."

"It's not your fault." I say. He looks as if he may say something on the contrary but then shuts his mouth.

"So when did you get your dog?"

"Well Tess got a therapy dog years ago and my parents thought I could benefit from one as well. I mean I lost that friend years ago and it really took a toll on me. That's not to say that I suffered even close to what Tess did. It's just to say I suffered."

"Oh June, I'm so sorry." Day says wrapping an arm around me.

"Day stop apologizing."

"I know. I just feel really bad about what happened."

"But you weren't even involved." I say.

"That's true I suppose." He smiles at me.

We walk back into the kitchen and everyone begins eating. Tess and Kaede both make awkward conversation with my parents while Day and I remain silent for the most part.

After a while my mom faces us. "Is everything alright June?" She asks.

"Yes. Of course." I say. "I am just worried about our upcoming tests in school."

"That's understandable, Day do you do any sports?" She asks.

"I do track. I used to play football back in middle school but we just have such a competitive school that it's actually decently hard to get playing time if you make the team. I decided track would be better."

"That makes sense." My Dad says.

"Maybe I'll do football senior year. It's much easier to make it as a senior. I'd have to practice quite a bit though." Day says.

Day is not built like a football player in the slightest. I think he probably won't actually try out for it. He's just saying that.

"Okay." My Mom says standing up from her spot. "I am going to start cleaning up. June and Tess you can show your friends around a little. I'm sure they've been here already but still." She wants to talk to my dad about something. I know it.

Day and Kaede both stand up at the same time as Tess and I. We all walk out of the room.

Day goes to use the bathroom and I use it as an opportunity to eavesdrop on my parents.

"Honey I know this doesn't make any sense but I swear he's Daniel. I can see it in his eyes." I hear my mom say.

"Nadia, listen to yourself. You're being ridiculous. Of course it isn't Daniel. June probably became friends with him because he looks so much like Daniel." My Dad replies. He's probably right.

"What kind of name is Day? It seems like a pseudonym." My mom says. She makes a fair point.

"You're going to have to let this go for the sake of our daughter. She cannot handle the hope that Daniel may be alive. Just because this boy looks like him does not mean we can give her false hope that it's him when that is so obviously not a possibility."

"You're right Michael. What was I thinking?" I walk away from the door.

It's too late. I have false hope. Every logical part of me is screaming at me that it isn't Daniel. And yet, every single part of me that was in love with him is screaming that it has to be.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry if there's any typos. Vote and comment!

-Ava